The painter, whose imagination was of a more flimsy texture. formed
a thousand chimerical conjectures, which he communicated to Pickle,
in imperfect insinuations, hoping, by his answers and behaviour,
to discover the truth: but the youth, in order to tantalise him,
eluded all his inquiries, with such appearance of industry and
art, as heightened his curiosity, while it disappointed his aim,
and inflamed him to such a degree of impatience, that his wits began
to be unsettled: then Peregrine was fain to recompose his brain,
by telling him in confidence, that he had been arrested as a spy.
This secret he found more intolerable than his former uncertainty.
He ran from one apartment to another, like a goose in the agonies
of egg-laying, with intention of disburdening this important load;
but Jolter being engaged with the pupil, and all the people of the
house ignorant of the only language he could speak, he was compelled,
with infinite reluctance, to address himself to the doctor, who
was at that time shut up in his own chamber. Having knocked at the
door to no purpose, he peeped through the key-hole, and saw the
physician sitting at a table, with a pen in one hand, and paper
before him, his head reclined upon his other hand, and his eyes fixed
upon the ceiling, as if he had been entranced.
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